Madras High Court directs actor Silambarasan to furnish security for ₹1 crore

Madras HC directs actor T.R. Silambarasan to furnish ₹1 crore security within 3 weeks for not completing movie Corona Kumar as per agreement with Vels Film International Ltd. Judge found agreement mentioned only ₹1 crore paid as advance, and doubted other transactions. Actor must comply by Sep 19 or face further orders.

The Madras High Court on Tuesday directed actor T.R. Silambarasan to furnish security for ₹1 crore within three weeks. The direction was issued on an application by Vels Film International Limited, to restrain the actor from acting in any other movie without completing one its films, Corona Kumar.

Justice Abdul Quddhose issued the direction after the applicant’s counsel M. Santhanaraman told the court the film production house had paid ₹4.5 crore to the actor, out of a total agreed consideration of ₹9.5 crore, for acting in Corona Kumar, and yet, the actor was not willing to fulfil his commitment, as agreed upon in 2021.

However, on perusing the written agreement entered into between the production house and the actor on July 16, 2021, the judge found that it mentioned a sum of only ₹1 crore having been paid as advance to the actor, for acting in Corona Kumar, and there was no mention regarding a payment of ₹4.5 crore.

Though the applicant relied upon certain bank transactions to prove that additional amounts of money had been paid to the actor and also claimed that some amount was paid in cash, the judge said he doubted whether those transactions pertained only to the movie Corona Kumar, and nothing else.

Justice Quddhose said, a clear picture about the transactions would emerge only after the actor received notice of the present application, filed under Section 9 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act of 1996, and made an appearance through his counsel. Till then, the producer could be protected only to the extent of ₹1 crore.

After directing the actor to furnish security for ₹1 crore, the judge said, he would be constrained to pass further orders on September 19 in case of failure to comply with this direction.